Why should people listen TO YOU? 'Austerity' Osborne ROASTED during fiery BBC interview

FORMER CHANCELLOR George Osbourne came under the spotlight after he urged the Prime Minister to increase spending on education in the North despite having previously authorised severe cuts during his time in Cabinet.

In 2015 Mr Osborne announced the Government would cut almost £1bn of in-year funds to the Department of Education.

He has now called on PM Theresa May to help close the education gap between the North and South of the UK to favour a British economy boost.

But BBC presenter Nick Robinson called the former Chancellor out, pointing out his extreme change of stance on the issue.

He said: "It’s not a mere debating point or going over political history to say ‘well, hold on.’

BBC

Nick Robinson questioned George Osborne's demands for education funds in the North

"When you were Chancellor your style was cut almost half the budget it has when you began as Chancellor. 150 children centres were closed in your last year as Chancellor.

"In a sense, wouldn’t it be moral to say some of that – maybe not all of it, but some of it – was a mistake and we need to invest in pre-school years?

Mr Osborne responded: "I don’t think turning around the British economy from a basket-case to the strongest performing in the world and getting many hundreds of thousands of people in the North into work was a mistake."

The former Chancellor also expressed his opinion on Brexit, saying that while it was a "mistake" the country should focus on making the right choices for the UK.

When you were Chancellor your style was cut almost half the budget it has when you began

Nick Robinson

He suggested the Government should reconsider its Brexit strategy, including the decision to leave the customs union to strike a deal with third-party countries like the United States.

Mr Osborne told the BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I’m not someone who says we can go back and reverse the decision. But I do think now we do face a series of choices about the kind of Brexit we want.

"We have a much clearer idea of the consequences of leaving without no deal with the European Union or leaving the customs union. These are the choices that the country, but above all Parliament now face.

"We should look very carefully at the advantages of leaving the customs union and doing less trade with Europe versus what we might gain from doing a trade deal with America. At the moment the sums don’t stack up for that kind of decision."